Recommended Tracks: “Time Waster”, “Embrace”, “Sever”, “Longshot”
Artists You May Like: Citizen, Turnover, Title Fight, Superheaven
Basement has been what you might call a late bloomer. Following the 2012 release of their landmark record Colourmeinkindness, the band famously called it quits just as they were arguably becoming one of the most vital names in the UK alternative scene. When they picked things back up two years later, the landscape had shifted: the crowds had grown bigger, the energy more explosive, and the fans more passionate than ever.
Now, after eight long years since their last full-length project, the band returns with WIRED — a record that proves their preceding success was no fluke, but rather a sign of the sonic evolution to come.
WIRED is a gritty, passionate project where the lyrics hit just as hard as the snare. The album opens with “Time Waster,” a punchy yet familiar track that showcases Basement’s ability to balance raw emotion with aggression. Vocalist Andrew Fisher told Rolling Stone that writing the main riff took him back to a “feeling of excitement and inspiration and an overall atmosphere of optimism about what was to come with the band.” That optimism is tangible, even when the lyrics lean into the introspective. With the line, “We had the world / but got it wrong / We barely knew ourselves,” the track sets a reflective, self-aware tone for the rest of the album.
One of the most impressive elements of WIRED is the band’s mastery of dynamics. On the title track, Fisher noted to the publication that the band experimented with “voicing and the way it moves,” resulting in what he considers their most successful attempt at shifting dynamics to date. This complexity is echoed in “Deadweight,” where guitarist Ronan Crix admits in the same interview that he didn’t “get” the song until the band played it together. The addition of synths over the choruses provides a “discordant horror” that makes the track stand out not only on this record, but within their entire discography.
The album also isn’t afraid to get a little weird. “Pick Up the Pieces” stands as one of their most experimental moments, cultivated around a repeating sample-style guitar part. Crix explained in their Rolling Stone track-by-track review that the band had to be “brave enough” to take the song into new territory, resulting in a track where the bass and drums feel inexplicably locked together. Similarly, “Satisfy” captures the band’s collaborative spirit; written from scratch at Electrical Audio, it features a slide guitar part that Ronan described as a true representation of the band’s collective personality.
“Embrace” brings an atmospheric magic to the mid-section of the record, leaning sonically sentimental before exploding into the chaotic, heavy sound fans have come to crave. The result is a masterclass in pacing — building, swelling, and balancing back out to keep the listener pulled into the music.
As the album unfolds, it’s clear the band is in touch with their roots. “Sever,” written just days before the band entered the studio, brings a hard, more angular energy that makes it feel somewhat frantic. In contrast, “Longshot” offers a softer, gentler approach. Guitarist Alex Henery has cited the influence of artists like Alex G, specifically regarding the “ooos” layered in the chorus. It’s a necessary deep breath as the record unfolds — a moment to slow down and take it all in.
“Broken by Design” serves as a tribute to their longevity. Henery noted to Rolling Stone that the track represents the band’s confidence and contentment with their current form, working with people who have been connected since 2010. This confidence peaks with the closer, “Summer’s End,” which leans heavily into their British roots, drawing from the likes of The Verve and Catherine Wheel. It’s a drawn-out ending that captures the spirit of a band that Henery says found clear fulfillment in the recording process, refusing to let the moment end.
Ultimately, WIRED feels like a spark renewed. It is a comprehensive project that sounds like the Basement fans know, yet bridges the gap into something more mature and realized. As Alex Henery told Rolling Stone:
“I never thought Basement could sound like this… but in my head, it’s what I’ve always wanted Basement to sound like.”
WIRED is the moment the band fully steps into the spotlight, and it was well worth the eight-year wait. Find Basement on tour with their friends in Fiddlehead and Glare this summer. Tickets are available here.
Basement Tour Dates:
6/5 – Rock Am Ring – Nürburg, RP, Germany
6/6 – Rock im Park – Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
6/8 – Loppen – Copenhagen, DK (with Glare)
6/9 – Kollektivet Livet – Stockholm, Sweden (with Glare)
6/14 – TAMA – Poznań, Poland (with Glare)
6/15 – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, HE, Germany (with Glare)
6/17 – zakk – Düsseldorf, Germany (with Glare)
6/19 – Hurricane Festival – Scheeßel, NDS, Germany
6/20 – Southside Festival – Neuhausen ob Eck, BW, Germany
6/21 – Farewell Youth Fest 2 – Dresden, Germany
6/23 – Magazzini Generali – Milan, Lombardy, Italy (with Fiddlehead)
6/24 – Dynamo Zürich (Dynamo) – Zürich, ZH, Switzerland (with Fiddlehead)
6/25 – Jera on Air – Ysselsteyn, Limburg, Netherlands
6/26 – Mia Mao – Paris, France (with Fiddlehead)
6/28 – Bowlers Exhibition Centre – Manchester, UK (Outbreak Festival headline)
8/23 – Victoria Park – London, UK (All Points East)
8/27–8/29 – Canela Party – Torremolinos, Spain
